13: Take her home

"There's no time to lose, let's depart now."

Chen Xu made a decisive choice.

The father and son wasted no time; Chen Daoxuan removed the Formation, and the two quietly left the Immortal Cave, riding their Flying Sword, transforming into two streaks of light, and speeding towards the direction of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

After flying for a full day and night, the two had penetrated nearly a thousand li into the outer perimeter of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

This was already an area frequently patrolled by Yao Beasts, with few human traces.

Under an extremely concealed mountain wall, Chen Daoxuan stopped.

He carefully identified it for a moment, then moved aside several well-camouflaged boulders, revealing a dark crack just wide enough for one person to pass through.

"Father, it's here."

Chen Xu's Divine Sense probed in, and he immediately felt a chaotic Spiritual Qi distorted by a Formation.

Behind the crack, there was indeed a hidden world.

He led the way into the crack, with Chen Daoxuan following closely behind.

After passing through a narrow passage tens of feet long, their vision suddenly opened up.

A rich Spiritual Qi, almost substantial, rushed towards them, making all thirty-six thousand pores on their bodies open up in comfort.

Before them was a mountain valley several li in circumference, with neat Spirit Fields cultivated within it.

On the ridges, Spirit Medicine plants, shimmering with Spiritual light, swayed in the breeze, emitting a refreshing medicinal fragrance.

Red Sun Flower, Purple Monkey Fruit, Dragon Blood Vine, Spirit Calming Grass... As far as the eye could see, all were High Grade Spirit Medicine that were hard to find elsewhere.

Each plant was at least five hundred years old!

This Spirit Field was clearly the medicine garden of some ancient Sect or Cultivator, abandoned here for unknown reasons, and covered by an illusion Formation for countless years, which led to its current state.

Chen Xu stood by the field, looking at this immense wealth.

Feeling the rich aura emanating from the Spiritual Vein beneath his feet, his heart was filled with heroic spirit!

It was for the Family's prosperity, for its eternal flourishing.

And this medicine garden before him was the most solid cornerstone he was laying for his descendants!

...The father and son did not rush to harvest the Spirit Medicine, but instead thoroughly surveyed the entire valley first.

Chen Xu's Divine Sense swept across every inch of land like mercury.

He confirmed the scope of the illusion Formation and the direction of the Spiritual Vein beneath them.

"Dao Xuan, your Cultivation Base is higher, so you're responsible for digging. Remember, every Spirit Field must be dug down at least three feet deep, including the soil layer beneath. This soil has been permeated with Spiritual Qi for thousands of years; it is a treasure in itself, and not a single bit should be wasted."

Chen Xu's voice was steady!

"Yes, Father."

Chen Daoxuan nodded without any hesitation.

He conjured his Flying Sword, and the robust Qi Refinement Twelfth Layer magical power was poured into it, the Flying Sword transformed into a cold light, precisely cutting into the edge of the Spirit Field.

Soil flew, and a large, complete ridge was neatly cut away.

Chen Xu, meanwhile, was responsible for transportation.

His Storage Pouch had limited space and couldn't hold much.

But he had prepared early, taking out a dozen palm-sized Formation Flags from hisHuai.

This was a space-expansion Formation he had learned from "Elementary Formation Dao."

Although rudimentary, it was enough to temporarily expand a normal Storage Pouch several times.

The father and son cooperated tacitly, one digging, one packing.

In the valley, besides the dull thud of the Flying Sword cutting through soil and the whooshing of the wind, there was no other sound.

This was a race against time.

They couldn't stay here long; no one knew when this ancient illusion Formation might fail.

Or be discovered by other Cultivators.

For a full month.

The father and son worked almost non-stop, eating dry rations when hungry, drinking mountain spring water when thirsty, and meditating on the spot to recover when tired.

Chen Daoxuan's magical power was depleted more than ten times.

He barely managed to endure with the help of the Spirit Returning Talismans and Medicinal Pills provided by Chen Xu.

When the last Spirit Medicine, along with its soil, was packed into the Storage Pouch, both father and son had grown thinner, but their eyes shone with astonishing brightness.

The entire valley was a mess; the former immortal medicine garden had become a massive pit.

"Let's go."

Chen Xu put away the last bag of spiritual soil without any reluctance.

The return journey was even more perilous than the way there.

Carrying such precious treasures, the father and son's hearts were in their throats.

They avoided all routes where they might encounter Cultivators, choosing instead to travel through deep mountains and old forests.

More than a month later, when the familiar outline of Ninghai Town appeared before their eyes, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They didn't alarm anyone, and under the cover of night, quietly returned to the Chen Family Courtyard.

In the following days, the Chen Family's backyard became a Forbidden Ground.

Chen Xu used the excuse of going into seclusion, not allowing anyone to approach.

The father and son became busy again, carefully transplanting thousands of Spirit Medicine and a massive amount of spiritual soil into the designated empty space in the backyard.

When all the Spirit Medicine were replanted, the backyard seemed to transform into a small fairyland.

Various spiritual lights intertwined, and the rich medicinal fragrance almost solidified.

To maintain the vitality of this medicine garden, Chen Xu spent nearly a hundred Spirit Stones to set up a Spirit Gathering Formation in the backyard.

Once the Formation was activated, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within a ten-li radius was slowly drawn in, nourishing this hard-won land.

After all this was done, Chen Daoxuan finally felt relieved.

"Father, I can't be away from the Sect for too long; I must return."

Chen Daoxuan looked at the medicine garden before him, his eyes full of longing: "With these resources, my chances of Foundation Establishment will be at least ninety percent!"

"Go."

Chen Xu patted his son's shoulder: "Remember, a prominent tree in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Before you have absolute strength, do not reveal our Family's trump cards."

"Your son understands."

After seeing Chen Daoxuan off, Chen Xu's life focus completely changed.

He temporarily stopped his Talisman drawing business, spending most of his daily time in the medicine garden in the backyard.

Like the most patient old farmer, he personally loosened the soil, watered with spiritual spring, and removed weeds for each Spirit Medicine.

The knowledge of pharmacology from "Elementary Pill Heart" now proved to be of great use.

He could accurately judge the habits of each Spirit Medicine.

And care for them in the most suitable way.

And his three wives gave him their greatest support.

Bu Yifan and Sun Xiaoyue already understood some pharmacology, so they voluntarily took on the task of helping him care for the medicine garden.

Zhao Linger, meanwhile, managed all the household affairs in an orderly manner.

Leaving him without any worries.

Peaceful and fulfilling days passed quickly.

One day, half a year later, Bu Yifan, Zhao Linger, and Sun Xiaoyue were all diagnosed with pregnancy within half a month.

This news made the entire Chen Family Courtyard boil with excitement.

Ten months of pregnancy, and the fruits ripened.

With three loud cries, the Chen Family gained two more sons and one daughter, bringing the total number of descendants to twenty.

As Chen Xu held the newborn infants, the System's voice rang out in his mind, one after another.

"Host has given birth to the eighteenth descendant, Bloodline assessment: Yellow Grade High Grade."

"Host has given birth to the nineteenth descendant, Bloodline assessment: Profound Grade Low Grade."

"Host has given birth to the twentieth descendant, Bloodline assessment: Yellow Grade High Grade."

"Immortal Family prosperity has significantly increased. Detected total number of descendants has exceeded twenty. Milestone reward issued!"

"One: Host's lifespan increased by two hundred years!"

"Two: Host's Cultivation Aptitude increased to Profound Grade Medium Grade!"

"Three: Reward a Profound Grade Alchemy Cultivation Technique, "Jade Cauldron Pill Art"!"

A familiar feeling surged in his heart once more.

At the same time, an Alchemy technique, even more profound and obscure than the Elementary Pill Dao, was imprinted into his mind.

"Jade Cauldron Pill Art"!

This was not merely an Alchemy Cultivation Technique, but a true treasure trove.

According to the Art, by cultivating this method, one could nurture a wisp of "Jade Cauldron Essence Fire" within their Dantian Qi Sea, using their own Spiritual Qi as fuel.

This fire was not only the supreme kindling for refining High Grade Medicinal Pills.

It could also be unleashed in battle, burning metal and melting iron, with infinite power.

In addition, the Art also came with dozens of Pill Formulas.

From the most basic Spirit Returning Pills and Healing Pills, to the Core Condensing Pills and Purple Heart Pills coveted by Foundation Establishment Cultivators, everything was available.

Chen Xu's heart pounded.

He had always been troubled by the lack of High Grade Medicinal Pills; now, the System had directly given him a golden path!

He temporarily left the care of the children to the servants and once again locked himself in the pill room.

With his Aptitude and Comprehension Ability elevated to Profound Grade Medium Grade by the System, those abstruse Arts became clear and easy to understand in his eyes.

In just half a month, he felt a golden flame the size of a bean quietly emerge in his Dantian Qi Sea.

The flame was extremely weak at first, as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

But when Chen Xu injected a wisp of Spiritual Qi into it, the flame suddenly surged, emitting astonishing heat.

Success!

Over the next two months, he began to attempt refining the Spirit Returning Pills from the Pill Formula.

Unlike the Medicinal Pills he had refined before, the difficulty of Spirit Returning Pills was several times higher, so his success rate was also quite touching!

However, precisely because there were ready-made Spirit Medicine in the medicine garden, he didn't feel bad about the losses at all.

The first time he opened the Pill Furnace, it exploded.

The second time, it turned into a lump of black medicinal dregs.

The third time, it was still medicinal dregs.

Chen Xu remained calm, summarizing his experience, adjusting the heat, and improving his technique again and again.

Finally, on the fifth attempt to open the Pill Furnace, the moment he lifted the lid of the Pill Furnace, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted towards him.

At the bottom of the Pill Furnace, nine round, plump, pale green Medicinal Pills, emitting a faint spiritual glow, lay quietly.

Spirit Returning Pills, nine pills formed, each reaching Medium Grade quality!

Chen Xu picked up a Medicinal Pill, feeling the pure Spiritual Qi within it.

A genuine smile appeared on his face.

He held the Medicinal Pills he had refined and excitedly walked out of the pill room, wanting to share this joy with his Family.

As soon as he reached the main hall, he saw Bu Yifan and Sun Xiaoyue gathered around Zhao Linger, all three of them wearing strange smiles.

"Husband, you've come at just the right time."

Bu Yifan smiled and waved to him, "Sister Ling'er told me that this month... she's feeling unwell again."

Chen Xu was startled, then realized what they meant and turned his gaze to Zhao Linger.

Zhao Linger's cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, a little embarrassed.

Chen Xu walked over, placed his hand on her wrist, and a wisp of Spiritual Qi probed in, a joyful expression immediately appearing on his face.

Another double blessing.

Just in this joyous and peaceful atmosphere, a message from the Qingyun Sect broke the Chen Family's tranquility.

The letter was sent back by his second daughter, Chen Nianfan.

Chen Xu unfolded the letter, the smile on his face gradually freezing.

The content of the letter was very simple.

The Qingyun Sect's decade-long pursuit of the demonic Cultivator had finally ended.

The demonic Cultivator was executed, but the Qingyun Sect also paid a heavy price.

In the final decisive battle at Lone Eagle Ridge, Chen Qingqing, a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, was severely wounded by the demonic Cultivator's dying secret technique while covering her fellow disciples' retreat.

Her legs were corroded by Devilish Qi, her bones shattered, completely crippled.

Her Meridians were also severely damaged, and her Dantian Qi Sea had irreversible cracks.

The end of the letter read: Junior Martial Uncle Chen Qingqing's Cultivation Base is completely crippled, her Dao path severed. The Sect, in consideration of her contributions, allowed her to recuperate in the back mountain, but her spirit is proud, unwilling to accept pity, and she has already requested to leave the Sect, her whereabouts unknown.

The letter slipped from Chen Xu's hand.

The atmosphere in the room instantly dropped to freezing point.

Bu Yifan and Sun Xiaoyue also saw the content of the letter, and their faces immediately turned pale.

"Qingqing, she..."

Sun Xiaoyue's lips trembled, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

She had fought with Chen Qingqing for half her life, and also followed her for half her life.

Although they eventually parted ways, that affection was real.

She couldn't imagine that woman, who was always proud and never willing to bow her head, would end up so tragically.

Bu Yifan's eyes also reddened; she leaned on the table, her body trembling slightly.

She remembered those days after her Foundation Establishment failure.

That kind of despair and helplessness, she knew better than anyone.

"Husband..."

Bu Yifan looked at Chen Xu: "Let's... let's bring her back."

"Yes, Brother Chen!"

Sun Xiaoyue also cried and said: "She is now alone and helpless, her Cultivation Base completely crippled. How can she live outside alone! Her personality is so stubborn, she will definitely do something foolish!"

Although Zhao Linger didn't know Chen Qingqing, seeing her two sisters so sad, she also walked over and softly said: "Husband, the sisters are right. One more person is just one more bowl of rice."

Chen Xu remained silent, picking up the letter from the floor.

Looking at the four characters "Dao path severed" on it, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

He remembered that spirited young girl in the outer Sect back then, remembered her decisiveness when hunting the Iron-Tongued Demon.

Remembered her exasperated look when she visited late at night.

Different paths, no common ground for discussion.

But now, her Dao had collapsed.

Chen Xu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He knew he couldn't stand idly by.

Not just because of his wives' pleas, and not just out of camaraderie with a fellow disciple.

But more importantly, he saw the cruelty of the path of Cultivation from Chen Qingqing's experience.

Today it was her, tomorrow it might be one of his own children.

He established this Family not just for himself, but to provide all his Family members with a haven they could always return to, no matter what.

"Alright."

Chen Xu opened his eyes, all hesitation gone.

"I will go personally and bring her home."